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Stephen Mulhern is reportedly being lined-up as a potential replacement for Phillip Schofield on Dancing On Ice.
Phillip, 61, had presented the hit celebrity figure skating competition alongside one-time close friend and colleague Holly Willoughby since 2006. The show went on hiatus for four years, but the popular duo returned together as presenters when it was revived.
The star stepped down from a string of hosting gigs after it emerged he had an affair with a younger male ITV employee. After the scandal came into the light, Phil went on to open up about his affair and the former pals' fall-out in a heavily publicised, tell-all interview with the BBC's Amol Rajan.
With Dancing on Ice expected to be back on screens in early 2024, speculation on his replacement is rife. Catchphrase star Stephen is no stranger to the ice, having hosted the ITV show in Phil’s place back in 2022, when he was struck down by covid.
Now, the 46 year old – who’s also at the helm of the much anticipated Deal or No Deal reboot – is said to have been offered the gig, reports the Mirror.
An insider told the publication: “Stephen is the perfect choice. Not only does he get on brilliantly with Holly, he is relaxed and fun which sits well with a show like Dancing on Ice.”
OK! approached reps for Stephen Mulhern, who declined to comment.
After Phillip’s affair came to light, he was dropped by his agents and left ITV with immediate effect. In a statement, he said: “I am so very, very sorry, as I am for having been unfaithful to my wife.
“I have therefore decided to step down from the British Soap Awards, my last public commitment, and am resigning from ITV with immediate effect expressing my immense gratitude to them for all the amazing opportunities that they have given me.”
The star said he "didn't tell anybody" about his relationship with his former This Morning colleague, confirming Holly "did not know" about it. In an interview with The Sun, the former Dancing on Ice presenter apologised to her for lying about the relationship, and concluded: "I've lost my best friend".
Mum-of-three Holly made her first on-screen appearance since the news broke on 5 June, kicking off her This Morning return with an emotional speech. Sitting beside co-presenter Josie Gibson, 38, Holly said she felt "shaken, troubled, let down and worried" during the last few weeks of controversy.
Referring to Phillip's lies about his affair on the show, Holly said: "We gave our love and support to someone who was not telling the truth."
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